Feedback request: Starchon iteration 23!

2006.8.05 - Starchon i23 Released!
Iteration 23 of Starchon is available for download

Summary:

Starchon is now a cross between a shooter and a real-time stategy. You can't directly decide where to place your units or which sectors to attack. However, you have a lot of indirect influence over the outcome of the game. The game is real-time, so if you take to long in a sector, you will probably be overrun by the Bio Race in the adjacent sectors. Please give the game a try, and offer your input, because the game play is still being shaped!

Known Issues:

- Some memory issues still exist.
- High Score functionality is offline at this time.

Screenshots:












Download:

www.FreelanceGames.com/bin/Starchon_i23_Setup.exe

Please select input device from the Option Menu (default Mouse).

Mouse Controls:

-Fire "selected" Energy Weapons - Left Mouse Button
-Fire "selected" Missile - Middle Mouse Button or Left Control Key.
-Thrust - Right Mouse Button or "W" key
-Direction - Mouse to Payers Avatar Vector
-Select Ice Blaster - "1" key
-Select Particle Blaster - "2" key
-Select Laser Blaster - "3" key (auto locks and only fires at Starship when in range; not the Sentinel)
-Select Particle Rail Gun - "4" key
-Select Sonic Blaster - "5" key
-Select Trident Missile - "6" key
-Select Carrier Killer Missile "7"
-Select Cluster Missile - "8" key
-Select Heat-Seeker Missile - "9" key
-Select Tactical Nuke - "0" key
-Toggle between Sector and Galaxy Map - Spacebar
-Enter Slipstream - Click a valid destination from the Galaxy Map

Keyboard Controls:

-Fire - Right Control Key
-Rotate Counter Clockwise - A or Left Arrow Key
-Rotate Clockwise - D or Right Arrow Key
-Thrust - W or Up Arrow Key

I would love some feedback on how to make the game better!:)

Thanks Everyone

Very nice :)

When pressing space bar to go from ship view to tactical view, cant go back to ship view without jumping to another target

I suggest you make some way of seeing the ship's energy near the ship and not bottom right. Maybe only when we hit a critical point.

I also suggest having at least 1 recheargable weapon.

check out this for inspiration:

http://www.getcontinuum.com/

In the previous release you could press the space bar to on the galaxy map to re-enter the same sector. I removed that functionality in this release because I was thinking of making the ship actually enter hyperspace before you see the galaxy map.

I the next release I was planning to have a key that would transfer energy from the shields to the active weapon when pressed? I think that would solve that problem.

i think the spacebar to toggle should stay: If you are in your ship, and wondering where your teamates are why running from the enemy, you can press spacebar, see the info, and switch back. No need to actually jump on space bar. Also, it might be used quickly everytime someone's about to die. In sci-fi flicks or tv series, it takes some time to go in hyperspace as to create some kind of panic. And yes the sheilds to weapon would fix the problem of having 0 weapons left. but then you would fire again until you have no weapons left. I think a permanent weapon that does almost no damage woudl fix it in a better way.

Wow cool game, great artwork and concept.....was there a turbo boost feature that I missed?

Turbo boast; what do you mean? Why is the game running slow or you? You can jump to another sector by pressing the space bar and clicking an active stargate.

Thanks

No, it wasn't running slow. I mean that I know you have the regular thruster which moves you around the level, but is there anyway to get something to move faster (like a turbo booster) even just for a little while?

also, being able to move backwards would be nice. So you can shoot at enemies while moving away from them.

The turbo feature is a possibility. However, I don't think the backwards thrust would fit just yet. However, I'll make the changes for the weapon recharge and add the spacebar back to the tactical view.

Any other features you guys would like to see. What do you think is missing besides more levels?

Repulsor beam
(Pushes enemy within radius away)
Mines
(Drop them behind you so following nme ship get hit)
Call for Help!
(Call your teamates to the rescue. If there are teamates on adjacent gates, they come in and help (at the risk of losing those gates)

Different ships. (Unless i didnt figure it out and its in there)
I would rather fly the little ships than the big ship we have.

Big Bases with lots of turrets firing at us.

Joystick support

Ship Damage (Damage to thrusters = go slower, damage that makes us turn slower..etc)


Smarter AI (the current AI is kinda easy to figure out)

Black Holes (gravity that pulls you in or helps you turn and gain speed)


i'm telling you, go check www.getcontinuum.com. D/l that game and try it. Play in the zone called CHAOS. You'll get to see why going backwards is important and also tons of cool weapons and defensive bonuses ideas.